This theme offers a unique look at the development of books and culture through the ages and brings together collections on the history of the book, manuscripts, graphic design and Dutch literature, from the early Middle Ages to the present. Among them are also objects from Amsterdam's first City Library (1578). Both elite and popular culture are represented, with material ranging from medieval codices to archives of graphic designers, publishers, authors, almanacs, school notebooks, comics and cartoons.
Collecting areas
The collections of comics, illustrations and popular printing reflect the evolution of visual culture in the Netherlands. With 300,000 comic cartoons, 6,000 prints (before 1900) and material by artists such as Jan Kruis, they offer insight into social attitudes, trends and technologies, from educational illustrations to satire and everyday life.
This collecting area comprises 300 medieval manuscripts, almost 600 incunabula and many early modern books (15th-18th centuries). Topics for research range from the materiality of the book, binding techniques and decorations to the development of script, with a particular focus on Amsterdam book production in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The graphic design and typography collection comprises exceptionally designed books, posters and other printing work as well as the technological history of the graphic trade. Besides books, script is strongly represented, from calligraphy to type design.
This collecting area relates to the history of the book. It covers the book as a physical object and the history of the book trade: the production, distribution and consumption of books. The emphasis is on the Netherlands and on the period after 1800.
